


in this lifetime

by halikidito



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Revenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 06:03:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20384872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halikidito/pseuds/halikidito
Summary: Ardyn has walked a lonely path, years of hatred consuming his as he planned his revenge against a kingdom that had long since forgotten his name; however, before he became the man as we see him today, he had a ray of light beside him as the darkness of the starscourge began to take over. When that chapter of his life came to a close, her life was cut short; without her, he had no reason to fight against the fate handed to him by the gods. Little did he know, she'd been watching over him from afar waiting for the right moment to meet him once more. This is her story, how she took the chance given to her to defy the gods and change fate.(Ravus will also have a relationship with another main character of mine; however, the woman mentioned above will have more of a focus. I will have plenty of Ravus romance though)





	1. We will meet again

The air was humid, and as the lightning filled skies shattered the walls of insomnia an ominous and destructive force, dark and abhorrently dangerous, was evident as shadows danced amongst the rubble of its fallen kingdom – the remains of Lucian king fading in to the mist that caved in on the city. Above this solemn city, far beyond the reaches of the nightmare it had become, existed a cliff that overlooked the tragedy that had befallen there. The sullen fog encompassing its barriers, atop this wonderous cliff, was a sight to behold as the monsters that lurked below twisted and contorted in a chaotic, feverous dance amidst its charred remains.

“How can fate be so cruel?” asked a voice in the distance, distraught and teeming with emotion. Slow, meaningful steps were evident as they approached the cliffs edge, and as those steps came to a halt, the face of a young woman peered to gaze her eyes upon the chaos. Her brown tresses hung over the edge as she fell to her knees and silently began to sob, waves of tears streaming through the cracks of her hands as she covered her eyes. The emotion radiating from her presence seemed tormented as her body loomed closer towards the edge, and as the clouds above her slowly shaded the skies and sun above, she fisted her hands and fervently dug them in to the dirt beneath her. Laying waste to the gravel between her fingers, she released a painful cry as she cupped the dirt in to her hands and aimlessly tossed it in to the air.

“Just so you know,” she began as she turned her gaze towards the sky. “The god’s will, most ardently, goes against my strength for his salvation.” She turned her eyes back towards the fallen city and lowered her head. “The wicked gods hold no favor in my heart,” she continued, eyes flamed with anger as she picked herself up from the ground.

Wind picking up from behind, her hair a tangled mess waving around her, she could feel a chilling aura surrounding her essence as she coldly stared towards the darkness looming before her. As it began to twist around her frame, she rose a fist to her chest and gently graced her fingers upon a locket hanging from her neck, her eyes misting as she studied its intricate design. For a moment, her mind playing tricks on her, she was foolish enough to believe the wind a mere reaction to the chaos brewing beneath her; however, given her cautious nature, she was smart enough to know that the storm before her was deliberate and, her eyes shining ever more with tears, she turned towards the forested area behind her to gaze at the unnatural shadows growing ever closer to where she stood. In one swift motion, she ripped the locket from her neck and threw it towards the shadows, the storm before her, and as a reaction it instantly died down and further solidified her suspicions as she cautiously approached them.

“Is this how it must be, my dear?” she asked, eyes wide as she motioned towards the city behind her, watching as the flames grew ever higher and the screams of the tortured souls below grew louder. Walking ever so slowly in to the darkness, her breath hitched a mere moment as she felt once again the chills from before slowly encompass her body. Though she wanted to appear strong in this moment, her composure wore thin against the battle waging in her heart, tears threatening to spill over at any moment the closer she grew to her destination. Steadfast, she braved her face against the darkness and sighed. “Is revenge that important, my dear Ardyn?”

Another chill pressed against her, her arms wrapping around her waist as she attempted to warm her body from its icy destruction; as the ghost of a hand brushed against her cheek, she closed her eyes and leaned in to the familiar warmth it gave her, her lips frowning as she allowed a few tears to spill from her eyes. “This path you are on has cost the lives of so many innocent people, my love,” she cried, her heart once again at war with her conscience. “Is it truly worth it?” Turning her gaze towards a broken limb hanging atop a tree in the distance, she focused her eyes on its features and found a familiar sense of understanding as, within an instant, it snapped free from the elder tree and met the ground below – how her mind and heart felt in that very moment, could wisp away in to nothingness at the snap of a finger. Nearly giving up, she began to turn around but, startling a gasp, she felt a solid hand grasp her wrist and turn her back towards the forest. As her frown deepened, she shakily took the strangers hand in to hers then turned her eyes up to face the fears lingering in her soul.

Her tears were evident in this moment as she graced her eyes upon the dark features of the man she’d once grown to love and honor, his amber locks and golden eyes now shrouded in a miasma of demonic shadows that, to most, would seem monstrous; to her, however, it was a reminder of the path they were now on and how far they had both strayed from the light. Pressing a kiss against his palm, shadows dancing away to reveal the skin beneath, she motioned her eyes up to his and greeted him with a solemn smile. He looked at her, eyes filled with regret as she soothed his soul with her deliberate kisses against his palm and, as he brushed away a stray hair against her cheek, he cupped his hand around her neck and turned his eyes away from her.

“I will not stop,” she whispered, lips traveling up his arm, her eyes filled with determination as she stared at him. “Though my soul is no longer a part of this world, I will do what I must to defy the six and our fate.” The man before her smiled down at her, eyes twinkling in the moonlight as he grasped her hand brought it up to his chest.

“My dear Nora,” he began, his strong arms brining her frame against his chest. Resting his head atop hers, sighing as he inhaled her scent, a dark chuckle escaped his lips. “The gods cannot be beaten and, even if we tried, what purpose would that serve? To live a life eternal without what I truly value most?”

Wiping away the tears from her eyes and, cupping her chin with the palm of his hand, guided her face to his. In his eyes shone an image of true, sorrowful regret as he gazed in to her soft, hazel eyes; those eyes, ever so determined to speak an unspoken truth to him, conveyed a sadness in them while in his comforting arms. Frowning ever so slightly, his hands digging gently in to her petite shoulders, he pressed his forehead to hers and began to softly kiss against her eyes in an attempt to soothe the tears falling from them.

“It is a fool’s game to defy the God’s,” he stated, lips pressed against her brow. Those lips traveled down to her nose, then to her eyelids once more, and then rest against her cheek. “I am but a sacrificial lamb in the eyes of the six, a means to an end and shall have no rest until all their cards have been played.” Turning his eyes upwards, the clouded sky weeping above him, he drew a hand upon his beloved’s head and combed his fingers in to her hair, his lips forming in to a smile as he reveled in the peace it brought upon his tainted soul.

“What would you have me do Nora?” he asked, nails soothing her scalp. Though close to him as she was, his need for her grew apparent as he attempted to cradle her head against his shoulder; however, all he received in return was a shocked look on his face when she pushed him away from her, a defiant look on her face as the once soothed tears flowed afresh from her gentle eyes. Though he knew any attempt to soothe her now would be in vain, the beginnings of an apology still formed on his lips; but, as quickly as those words formed, they died instantly with a slap to his face from the one person he adored most in all of Eos.

Her mind, body, and soul – defiant and proud – could barely stand the sight of him as she turned her head away from him. Fists clenched and shaking, she screamed in frustration and fell to her knees. As she massaged her fingers in to the dirt beneath her, she could feel her breaths growing ever more rampant as her body continued to shake with anger. In that moment, gripped with sorrow and pain, she watched as he kneeled down and slowly guided his hand to hers – a testing of the angered waters. Almost wanting to remove herself from him once more, she nearly moved her hand away from his but, as unbearable as the situation was, all hope was lost in her soul once she stared in to his pained and tearful eyes.

“Ardyn,” she whispered, eyes searching his as she closed the distance between their hands. He gave her a knowing look as tears threatened to spill from his eyes and, though she felt remorseful for the state his heart and soul were in, she knew she could not stray from the path she had now chosen for herself. “These gods you speak of are fools. Who did I follow when our people were afflicted with the starscourge?” She kissed his knuckles then turned his hand over to kiss his palm. “Whose hands held yours as the darkness grew ever stronger on you.” Biting her lip, she took his palm and placed it against her cheek as she smiled at him. “Who did I stay with until the bitter end?”

As he stared at her, a feeling of remorse and sorrow spilt in to his soul as he was once more reminded of their tragic end and how short her life was compared to his, a mere drop in a pool of darkened shadows that seemingly had no end.

“Do you not remember how your end came to be?” he asked, eyes searching hers as a frown adorned his face. “I saw your death play before me, your lifeless body before me so painful that it brought me to my knees – and you tell me to defy the gods when they wilted your life in a mere instant?!” Most days, he prided himself in how well he maintained his composure; however, before him stood a reminder of all that was lost to him and, eyes fuming and body shaking, he released a growl as his turned his gaze away from her.

“That is why we must defy their will my love.” She spoke, lips pressing against his cheek. “We alone have the power to carve our own path.”

He could barely withstand the emotions boiling up inside him, heart and mind at war with one another as she spoke to him. Long since the beginning of his long stretch of mortality he’d had her in his arms to cherish and love and praised the six for bestowing him such a beauty as her in his life. To have her taken away from the very gods he’d vowed to serve, left a bitter taste in his mouth, a lust for revenge against those who deprived him of the same end as she when she left him to the spoils of the world he now walked in alone. In this moment, all thoughts were lost as he once again heard her cries and he didn’t have enough strength within him to bestow further pain inside her fragile heart. Turning his face to hers once more, he pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and hugged her to his chest.

“Though immortal in body, my dear Nora, my mind and heart still weigh heavy on my soul. I am tired and ready to end this nightmare.” He watched as her hands traveled atop his amber locks, soothing her fingers in them as he did for her, and he felt a sense of peace as she comforted him. “You may never forgive my actions,” he continued, eyes misting as he spoke. “But I…” he paused, attempting to relieve himself from the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes; her eyes, though, as pained as they were, released a well of emotions within that he could no longer keep in check. Just as the city beneath them lay in shambles, so were the feelings welling in his heart as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. To his beloved, all that he could release from his lips was a muffled “please forgive me” before a storm of tears spilled from his eyes, his body shaking in agony as his hands reached for the back of her head. Seeing his pain before her eyes, she clutched at his shirt and crushed her lips to his, their tears mingling together as she stroked his tear flooded cheek. Eyes blurry and tearful, she moved away from their kisses and lay her forehead against his and pressed a gentle kiss atop his brow.

“Ardyn, my dear,” she rasped, hands clutched to the lapel of his collar. “My death in that life brought upon a sorrow in you that I am deeply pained by.” She wrapped her hands around his neck and began to massage in to his stiff muscles. “Though I am not here with you now, my heart has always been tied to yours, and I have seen the chaos brought upon this world from your actions.” Sobbing in to her neck, he pressed a saddened kiss to it before relaxing himself in her hold.

“Is this to be my true punishment?” he asked to no one in particular, body exhausted and near the brink of collapse. “To have my most valued treasure cast judgment upon my soul?” The pain he felt in that moment echoed in his mind the true cost of his transgressions as he relaxed in to her embrace, feeling pain and comfort as she pressed gentle touches against him and was too weak to resist the feelings it stirred in him. Her lips, as they pressed in to his brow, washed over him and flooded him with a warm light he’d long since parted with; as he turned to face her once more, his lips curved in to a soft smile as he hastily kissed her.

“Ardyn!,” She exclaimed, slowly pushing away. She held his face in her hands, her fingers pressed in to the wrinkles on his eyes as she shook her head, disappointed in herself for how she could not reach out to the man she knew existed within the shell before her. “Revenge isn’t the answer!” She brushed away a stray lock of hair and sighed as her eyes turned downward. “We have the power within us to turn away from all of this, to create a better world, yet you deny the truth and walk on a path of destruction.”

“Nora!” he shouted, voice hoarse and barely a whisper as he clawed his hands atop his scalp in frustration. “Revenge is all I have left. Without you as an anchor to keep me steady I have nothing left.” He could feel a rampant pounding in his chest, traveling up in to his ears as it laid waste to his sanity. He covered his eyes, tears still evident, and bowed his head in to her lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “You were all I had….” A hand combs through his hair and he gasps. “I haven’t the strength to fight them without you.”

Judging by the state he was in, she knew any attempt at reasoning with him would fail miserably so, for a few moments, she sought to calm him once more as he wept. It was a hard sight, his forlorn state sending a chilling pain within her as she gently stroked his head; while comforting him, she looked once more out in to the forest of shadows.

“If I were with you, what then would you do?” she asked slowly, stammering as he looked up at her. “If I were here with you, what path would you travel?” Disbelief in his eyes, he looked as though he’d misheard her and cautiously helped himself away from her. One hand cupping her cheek, he rested the other on to her lap and cleared the hoarseness from his throat.

“As lovely as that is to imagine I haven’t the time to contemplate such impossibilities.” Her eyes never moved from his and, momentarily, it struck him as odd that she hadn’t uttered a word towards his refusal to think upon the question. Those eyes bearing in to his never budged and he felt a strange pain in the pit of his stomach as he waited for her response, half expecting her to push him away again due to the chaotic manner of their meeting; however, after a while, her only response was a chuckle before playfully him on the head. He released a hum of approval as her he felt her hands on him, a soft lullaby penetrating his mind as the chaotic rhythm inside began to die down.

“What causes my dearest flower to laugh?” he chimed, lips pecking hers. “Though I certainly welcome the change, I’d love to know what caused this sudden change.” She smiled at him, tears fading as his thumb wiped against her eyes.

“My heart understands something that you do not.” Kissing his nose, she pressed her brow against his, her heart filling to the brim as she stared in to his unknowing eyes.

“What is it that I do not understand my dear?” though he didn’t smile much, for her it was a common as the ground beneath him and, for her, he would willingly display to her the loving affections she desired.

“Ardyn,” she whispered, eyes closing. Unsure of what to say next, she sat there frozen in her words. She knew full well the reaction she would receive upon revealing to him what she’d been hiding; however, she was ill prepared for its affect, her mind struggling to stabilize as she steadied her breaths. Determined not to falter, she opened her eyes, head steady against his as she curved her lips in to yet another comforting smile. “My time in this place shall soon come to an end.” Chuckling as she noticed the confused expression given to her, her fingers pinched against his nose as she smoothed her hands on to his rugged cheek. “This dream we find ourselves in, as I can see,” she continued, “is a prophecy of what is to come.” Her eyes traveled upwards once more and she frowned. “Though the gods are foolish in their desire to control, I still found myself drawn to the visions of the future – the images planted in your mind by six – and, though it may be part of their plan, I believe I will once more find you again.”

His eyes shone an uncertainty in them that even he could not explain as he listened to her talk, her words spurning nothing but confusion in his head as he played it again and again. Where they had met, a world between worlds and a tether to the lives of many, felt but a dream for him as he enjoyed her company. Her soul had been trapped there in the beyond, a realm of dreams, for many years and stood watch as an observer of the world below. There meetings were few and far between, seeing as sleep was a luxury he hardly ever partook in.

“What do you mean Nora? How will you find me again?” She clutched his hand in hers and kissed his knuckles.

“It means that I will find you again in this life, as it was always meant to be.” She said this with such certainty that he could hardly doubt the words spoken to him and, though he wanted to steer clear from what that truly meant; however, the determination in her eyes that told him the possibilities spread from her lips could truly come to be. “I will find a way to save your soul Ardyn.” Feeling brave, she shoved him back against the ground. She straddled his waist and huffed, nearly releasing a tearful chuckle due to the shocked expression on his face. “Ardyn Izunia,” she continued, eyes wide with audaciousness. “In this lifetime we will once more connect and-“She stammered but held strong. “And I promise I will find a way to free you from this eternal nightmare.”

Laying against the cold dirt beneath him, his back etched in to the gravel embedded there, he looked up and he could only chuckle in response to her ardent determination towards saving his lost soul; though somewhat tearful and shaken, he could only love her more as she looked down upon him with a fierceness in her eyes that would cause ruin to any god before her. Thankfully, though, it was his eyes that met hers, and he was very much in love with her passion for him.

“I hope you do, my love.” Without warning, he draws her down to a crushing embrace, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he inhaled her scent. “As aged as I am, I have long since grown tired of such things as hope and retribution.” He turns his face to hers and grants her a hopeful smile before resting his face against hers. “But for you Nora, I’ll try.” The words were ushered from his lips in small whisper, softly enough that only she could hear them as he said them.

“That’s all I could ever ask for Ardyn.”

As they lay on the ground locked in their embrace, the skies above continued to darken and began to cover whatever light was left. Nora could sense a dangerous force drawing close, shaking as it sent a shiver up her spine. whatever it was, as she could sense within, was drawn to the darkness that surrounded him. She knew that her time with him would soon be over; though she wished she could spend the rest of eternity in him arms. She knew she had a mission to complete. She could not falter or let her mind veer from the path she had set for herself. Though shaken, she turned her face to his and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

“It is time for me to leave this place, my love.” frowning, she looked deeply into his eyes and pressed her hand against his cheek. “The monsters within grow stronger each day, and I feel them surrounding us.” She sat herself up and straddled his waist, then as she picked him up, she wrapped her arms around his waist inside. She wished not to leave but knew that if she stayed there any longer then darkness that surrounded them would begin to seek out the light within her.

“Nora,” he began, his chin resting atop her head. “This dream, for a man such as myself, has been a wonderful reprieve from the hatred and spite I’ve grown accustomed to.” He ran one hand along her spine while the other rested against her neck, his chin moving away as she looked up in to his mournful eyes. There were more regretful words forming as he stared down at her, but he could not bring himself to utter them and ruin the moment they were sharing. He wanted to drink this moment in and savor this memory. “Is it foolish of me to wish for you to stay, my love?” he chuckled as he pecked her lips once more. She shook her head and giggled.

“Not foolish, though I have no say in the matter.” The Sky thundered above them, and she could feel a numbness in her arm as she struggled to keep them wrapped around his waist. Then, as she tried to move it towards her, she noticed that the tips of her fingers we're starting to fade away. It trickled down to her wrist until all that remained was an invisible outline of where her hand once was. “It has already begun.”

“Are they calling you away, my dear?” she nodded her head, eyes wincing as she buried her head against his chest. She could feel a similar numbness claiming her body and began to tear up, knowing full well that their next meeting would be on an unfamiliar plain.

“Yes, my dear Ardyn.” Her eyes teared, watching as the rest of her body began to fade. “When next we meet,” she continued, stammering as her body grew cold. “I may not remember who are or even look the same.” He could not utter a word as he stared at her, afraid that his resolve might snap once more and he so dearly wanted to appear strong before her; even as his eyes watched her body fading before him, his lips couldn’t even begin to find the right way to tell her goodbye, his arms shaking as he held her.

“I promise we will meet again. I-.” she took in a deep breath and began to cry. “I won’t give up on you!” In all but an instant a white light overtook her body, bright enough to close Ardyn’s eyes, so that when he opened them, he noticed a soft glow around her. Smiling at him, eyes brimming with tears, she whispered words of adoration as her essence – what was left of it – faded away in to nothingness. For a few moments, Ardyn sat in silence, eyes upwards as he stared at the darkening sky above him. Truthfully, his mind could not believe the words she’d spoken to him, but his heart desperately wanted to reach out towards the hope she’d handed to him; so, as foolish as it seemed, he held that hope in his heart that he would one day see her again and defy the fate that had been chosen for him.

“I will await your return my dear Nora,” he said while standing up. He brushed off the dirt that had collected on his pants and turned to face the forest behind him. Tipping his hat down, he began to walk towards the darkness before him, the shadows consuming him as he hummed a gentle tune.

“Until we meet again.”


	2. The Fallen star of Tenebrae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeryn Solaris had spent the past eleven years trying to put the memories of the past behind her, memories of a life held in Tenebrae as a loyal servant to the royal family. War and violence tore her from everything she held dear there and now, with two children to take care of, she has to move toward their new future in Lestallum. Every chance she has taken in her life has been a risk, never knowing if it will succeed or fail as she moves both her and her family towards their new destiny.

In a small forested area on the outskirts of hammerhead, a beautiful image teeming with wildlife and trees as far as the eyes could see, there rested a small home within its wonderful scenery. Smoke piped from its fireplace, a symbol of life existing within this home, and a delicious aroma of a morning breakfast endeavor was evident as it encompassed the perimeter. The sun overhead shone above, a beacon of hope as the birds chirped and the animals fluttered about in peaceful harmony. They knew not of the dangers that would soon befall all of Eos, as did all of humanity; however, in that moment, there was peace and beauty and also a small girl, as seen through an open window in this house, soundly sleeping in her bed.

For the life of her, Aeryn hadn’t the heart to wake her daughter as she watched her sleep but knew it was time for her to get up. She’d prepared her breakfast and, most definitely, wanted her to have some proper nutrition in her before they prepared for their journey. Slowly approaching her daughter, kneeling down to her, she brushed aside her hair, and softly pinched her on the shoulder.

“Yura, it’s time to get up,” she said, smiling softly as she watched her daughter roll to her side and brush her hand away from her shoulder. Giggling, Aeryn moved her hand towards her daughters’ sides and began to tickle her, achieving her initial task when her daughter erupted in to a fit of giggles beneath her.

“Mommy! That tickles!” Yura replied, hands swatting at her sides in an attempt to move her mother away from her. “Okay,” she continued while sitting herself up. “I’m up now mommy.”

Rolling her eyes, Aeryn moved her hands away from her daughter and gently sat herself down on the bed, her eyes taking on a more serious tone than before as she stared at her young daughter. For a moment, Yura looked as though she’d done something wrong, her eyes turned downwards and lips formed in to a frown as she looked away from her mother; however, Aeryn was quick to assure her that she wasn’t in trouble, that her reason for such a serious face had nothing to do with her.

“Yura,” She began, eyes soft as she talked to her. “Before we have our breakfast and get ready for our journey to Lestallum, I need to know that you and your brother will do your best to stay safe.” Days before, she’d been informed that military scouting around the area had been on the rise, nearly twice as much as it had been in the past, and she had no desire to expose her children and herself, given their heritage, to the violence they would impose upon them if found. Giggling, Yura leapt in to her mothers arms and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing those cheeks and forcing them in to a unique expression.

“Mommy,” Yura replied, hands still grabbing her mother’s cheeks. “Everything will be okay. Nox and I aren’t that young anymore, ya know.” Aeryn looked out of Yura’s room and in to the room next door where her son, now wide awake, lay in his bed with eyes open and staring at them both. He gave her a gentle nod before rolling over to his side and pulling his covers over his head. Chuckling, Aeryn patted Yura on the head and playfully pushed her back down on to the bed.

“I guess we need to get ready then,” she said while lifting herself off of the bed. She turned her gaze towards her sons’ room, walked over to the entrance, and loudly rapped on his door. “And don’t try to pretend I didn’t see your eyes open young man,” she continued, smiling as she continued to playfully knock on his door. “Time for you to get up, eat breakfast, and help your twin sister pack, okay?” The only response her son could give her in that moment, as tired as he seemed, was a low grunt before he removed the covers from his head and slowly began to get out of bed.

“Now that’s my good boy,” Aeryn stated as she walked herself in to the kitchen to prepare their plates, silently laughing to herself as she listened to the sounds of her children removing themselves from their rooms, her son acting as though daylight were a torture device solely devised to cause him the utmost of pain this morning. Turning to their cabinets, she opened them and removed a few of the glasses that remained in it. She’d had most of their personal belongings driven off to their new home in Lestallum the week before and had to make do with the bare essentials. She wished not to leave but the necessity of such a journey was imminent due to the increase in daemon activity.

Rubbing her arm, eyes gazing out a nearby window, she took one last glance at the scenery before her and tried to etch the memories of their home in her mind. Though her children had spent their entire lives in this home, she’d spent a majority of her life in a land long since destroyed by war and unimaginable, violent acts. She’d seen her fair share of those violent acts but had removed herself from that chapter in her life, now merely a distant memory that only stung in moments like these, eyes focused on the beautifully forest before her, and how she longed for a place that truly felt like home to her. She’d been torn from her homeland at the young age of twenty-one, an imperial province known to many as the Kingdom of Tenebrae and, though she was but a mere servant to the royal family at Fentesala Manor, she’d grown close enough to Queen Sylva and her children that, in those times, they were as much a family to her as any other. Though it grew harder each day to place those memories, she at least knew she’d never forget how warm the queens welcome was when they first met in a province nearby. They’d just lost their father to the starscourge and were barely staying afloat when the queen saw fit to take them in, and she’d never forget how thankful she was for that memory of the queen. Even after her death, though it still stung to remember it, she could only feel grateful for the queens help; for, had she not intervened, the children she had grown to love and cherish wouldn’t have existed.

Shaking herself from her solemn thoughts, she grabbed a set of glasses and placed them down on their table; then, walking over to the sink nearby, she began to pour some water in to a pitcher sitting nearby; however, she soon let the water spill over as she stared outside the window above it, eyes wide with fear as she noticed an imperial guard approaching her home. Cursing in but a whisper, the pitcher slipped from her fingers and, without hesitation, she ran towards her children. They were still in the beginnings of their morning routine, Yura still half asleep as her mother forcefully grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her in to her brothers’ room. Now both wide awake, both her children – shaken and afraid – stared at her in anticipations of what she would say to them. The confusion on her their faces nearly drove Aeryn to tears as she attempted to reign in her emotions, hear beating wildly as she listened to nearing footsteps outside their home. Slowly breathing and trying to calm herself, she dropped to her knees and put a hand on both their shoulders.

“What’s wrong mommy?” Yura asked, still shaken as she looked at her mothers tortured face. “Is everything Okay?” She placed a hand on her mother’s cheek, Aeryn’s hand reaching to grasp it as she kissed her daughters’ knuckles. Aeryn didn’t want to frighten her but knew that her appearance in that moment wasn’t doing her any favors, seeing as she looked just as frightened.

“It’s time to be brave, okay.” She turned to face the closed door and sighed. “Remember those bad men I talked about?” Nox and Yura both nodded their heads, hands reaching out towards one another as they listened. Aeryn took in a deep breath and continued. “Okay,” she began, stammering as she rubbed a sore spot on her shoulder. “well those bad men are here and we need to be extra careful.” Though she wished it hadn’t come to this, she hastily reached in to her pants pocket and pulled out a pair of silver lockets, hands shaking as she slowly placed them in to Nox and Yura’s hands.

“These will protect you,” she said, eyes motioning to the lockets. She stared at her children one last time, appreciating their pale blonde hair and blue eyes before fastening them around their necks. “As long as them remain on your neck they will protect you from those who would wish to cause you harm.”

A knock could be heard on the door, Aeryn’s heart beating rapidly as she spat out a series of chants while also pressing her fingers in to the necklace that was already around her neck. Eyes closed, she continued her chant and soon, as her lips stilled and her beating heart calmed, a blue light began to envelop them. Aeryn could feel a chilling warmth around her body as the locket around her neck began to rattle slightly, a sign that her magic was indeed working and, when she opened her eyes the confirmation in its success was evident when she gazed upon the changed appearance of both her and her children. Their once pale blonde hair had transformed into an ashy brown and their eyes were as black as the night; fiddling with a stray hair against her face, she’d noticed that her hair had taken on a brown hue as well. Standing herself up from the floor, desperately hoping the imperials could not detect her magic, she opened the door and proceeded towards the main entrance of her home. Though she tried to tune out the knocking, she did notice that the knocks became louder and more erratic the closer the got to it; in all honesty, she was terrified of what she would see on the other side but, not wanting to prolong this torture to her soul, she slowly opened the door and startled a gasp as an imperial guard, bloody and beaten, fell to the wooden floor once the door was fully open.

“Oh, my word!” Aeryn exclaimed as she knelt down to examine the officer. She studied his body for a moment, eyes searching for any fatal wounds before lifting him up off the floor. “What on Eos is going on?” She pressed his back against the door frame and removed his helmet, concerned eyes bearing in to his as she brushed away his bloodstained hair. “Are you able to speak,” she asked, fearful that the man might die before her. When he responded with a nodded, she released a breathless sigh and placed her hand against his forehead. “Please,” she continued while grabbing the hem her shirt and using it to wipe the blood away from his eyes. “tell me what has happened.”

“The high…” a cough, blood spilling from his mouth as he tried to speak but he pressed on. “I was escorting the high commander to an outpost nearby when he suddenly fell ill.” He coughed once more, wincing in pain as he reached his arm around his stomach. He had a pained look on his face, one that seemingly had nothing to do with the physical pain he was currently in, and that was what worried Aeryn the most. The look on his face was one of shame. “He told me to press on,” he continued, eyes filled with regret. “He’d said it was nothing to worry about and that it would go away, but as we journeyed further in to the forest his condition only worsened.”

“Then why are you covered in blood,” Aeryn asked, confusion drawing on her face as she continued to wipe away at the blood that had begun to trickle down his neck. The man released a cough before continuing.

“Whatever this illness is, it drew him in to a rage like I’ve never seen. He unleashed his sword on me before falling to the ground. Not knowing what to do, I ran for help and, thankfully found your home.” There was a slight terror in his eyes as he spoke to her, though they still held a small bit of regret as he turned his gaze to the wooded area outside. Eyes wide, Aeryn looked out to the forest as well and sighed, knowing full well that the soldier beneath her had no hope of leaving her home at the moment. Kneeling closer to the man, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and heaved him up off the floor, ears listening in on his painful cries as she carefully walked him to a chair in the living room. Standing before him once more, she retrieved a pillow from the table beside him and placed it behind his neck.

“Though your presence is unwelcome,” she began, eyes warm as she fluffed the pillow. “I’d rather have you alive and bleeding on my couch than bleeding to death outside.” Though she knew he was an imperial officer, she still cared enough about her fellow man to do the right thing. Regardless of her animosity to those officers and what they represented, she knew she couldn’t live with herself if something had happened to him had she refused to help him in his time of need.

“Thank you,” the man replied, head leaning back against the pillow.

“No need for that,” Aeryn chided as she walked herself back towards where her children were hiding. Opening the door slightly, she peeked in and, eyes serious as she stared down at them, she pointed a finger at Nox’s bed and nodded her head just once.

“Under no circumstances are you to leave this room,” she said, eyes and voice serious as she pointed to the bed. She didn’t wish to lie to her children about the situation but knew that if she spoke the truth they’d be terrified so, in an instant, she came up with a quick story to tell them. “A pair of travelers were attacked in the woods and need my help.” Eyes wide, Yura ran up to her mother and pulled at the hem of her pants.

“Why can’t we help mommy,” She whispered, upset and still shaken from the events from earlier.

“This is too big for you Yura,” Aeryn explained as she patted her daughters head through the cracked door. “I just need you and your brother to remain in here until I return. I need you both to stay safe.” She looked at her son and smiled softly. “Nox, take care of your sister for me okay. Make sure she doesn’t get in to too much trouble.” Chuckling, Nox rustled his sisters hair and pulled her in for a hug while they both watched their mother close the door. With that now out of the way, Aeryn walked back in to the living room and, kneeling to face the guard resting in her couch, she reached for a messenger bag on the ground below and threw it over her back.

“Can you tell me where you last saw the high commander?” Aeryn asked, calmer than before though still a bit uneasy. She was ill prepared for what was soon to come once she traveled out in to the forest but, on principal alone, she knew she couldn’t rest easy until the other man was as safe as the one before her.

“It shouldn’t be too far here,” he began, coughing a bit. “I found your home shortly after the attack.”

“Not far indeed,” Aeryn chimed in as she clasped her hands together. She turned towards the open door and laid a hand down on the top of the couch. “I will find him and bring him back here to heal. Hopefully I have enough here to help him deal with whatever is ailing him.”

“You are far too kind.” Placing a bruised a dirtied hand atop hers, he painfully looked up at her and smiled. “How shall I address our savior?” The last of what he said made Aeryn a bit uneasy, seeing as she had altered her appearance before meeting him; however, she had to play along with the situation and make sure he knew nothing of her true heritage.

“You may call me Stella.”

With those being her final words spoken to him, she headed outside and in to the forest to look for a man who was seemingly on the verge of death. Hopefully, if she arrived in time she could spare him his fate and save his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Okay, so this is is prelude in to my character meeting up with Ravus. I want to introduce both my main characters before getting on with the story; however, the next chapter will have some good ol' Ravus sexy scowl time)


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